Bottle carrier and separator therefor



Nov. 16, 1943. E. w. Hu'rcHlNGs 2,334,197

i BOTTLE 'CARRIER AND SEFARATOR THEREFOR Filed nec. 9^, 1941 Sme/who@ E WR M. All] TCH/NGS Patented Nov. 16, 1943 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'e l Y $34,197 Y BOTTLE CARRIER AND sEPAnroa `rrr-HEREFOR-V f l l Edward Hutchings,V Perry, flla.v

` 9, 1s41,-ser1a1N0.,422`,2s5 f4 claims. (c1. zei- 2.18)

Application December This invention relates to bottle carriersfof that general class shown and described* in my pending application led inA the United `States Patent Oce on the 31st day of October, 1941, under Serial No. 417,408, the present invention being an improvement thereon.

The object of the invention isf'generally to' improve the construction-ofthe carrier `and to increase its usefulnessv and ei'ciency `by `providing improved means `for separating "the bottles and preventing scufiing orfbreakage thereof either whencarrying iilledbottles orf when returning empties.1"- f`` A further object of thel invention 4isto -prol Videla bottle carrier which willpermit loading of the bottles while `in a p'erpendicular` position instead of when tilted or lcanted,V thereby to 1` facilitate and expedite `the loading operation.

`A further object is tovprovidethe carrier with spaced depending"separatorv plates or yfillers ad-f justable laterally with respect vtothe stationary supporting handle to accommodate? different size bottles and alsoto permitsaid plates toiirrnly contact the wallsfof adjacent-fbottles so as to prevent scuding or rattling thereof during transportationv A further object is tof mount thelfseparator plates on spacedhorizontalA rodsfwitn the upper ends of the plates 'ttedg in recesses'xin vthe stationary supporting handle, the opposite side walls of said recessesr forming stops ior limiting the lateral movement ofthe separator plates. Further'objects and advantages will appear in the following specication. ,Y In Vthe accompanying drawing:u Y

Figure lis a sideA elevation of? a "bottle'carrier "constructed inV accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectionalfview taken ,on

the line 2-2 of Figure 1, f Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on `the line Y3--3 lof Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a detail'perspective View, partly in section, showing the manner of mounting the separator plates or fillers inV position on the carrier. w i

The improved bottlev carreris preferably substantially triangularin shape and constructed of wood o1' other suitable material, said carrier comprising oppositely disposed end walls 5 and 6 connected atrtheir lower ends by side walls 'I and at their upper ends by a horizontal bar 8 con' stituting a stationary carrying handle.

The carrier is provided with a bottom formed of spaced strips 9 and disposedwithin the body of the carrier centrallythereof is Va `longitudinal partition I0 deiining independent compart- Aments each adapted to receive a r'o`w `of bottles,

indicated at II. vto hold any desired number of bottles and for The carrier may be constructed purpose of illustration isshown supporting six of saidbottles. l vDisposed. beneath the stationary carrying hanc llev 8 and ttedin sockets" I2` in the adjacent end walls of the carrier arejspaced longitudiseparator plates or fillers I4 havingjspaced openings I5 formed therein and through which the Arods IBeXtend for the purposeof supporting the separator plates in vertical `position and ,movement of said` plates onthe rods I? to accommodate "bottlesvof diierentrsizes, the oppo'- l preventing tilting or rotating movement'thereof. Formed in the lower` longitudi`nal Vedgejof the stationary handle 8 are spaced recesses I6` adapted to receivefthe upper edges of the separator rplates I4. 'j The width of the recesses I6 is preferably slightly greater 'than the thickness of the separatorplates so as to permit slight lateral site end Walls of'the recesses lI6 constituting ystops il which serve to limit the v'lateral movement of the separator plates. It will thus be seen that the rods I3 prevent tilting ork rotative vcenter bottle in each row.

-movement of the separator plates Vwith*respect 'to' the stationary handle while the stops `I1 serve to limit sliding movement of the separator` plates 'on said rods. The inner faces of adjacent'separator plates I4 are preferably inclined O1' beveled at'i to ,facilitate insertion and removal of the Slidably mounted for vertical-movement onlthe stationaryrhandle Aor bar 8 is an auxiliary orlmovable handle I9 comprising, an inverted substantially U-shaped member, theopposite legs20 "of which extend through vertical openings 2| in the bar 8 andbetween the rods I3 and are provided lwith terminal stop fingers 22 which by engagement with the lower edge of the bar 8 serve to limit theupward movement of the auxiliary handle. l.

The hand grip 23 of is moved upwardly to the elevated position shown in full lines in Figure 1 of thedrawing so as to the auxiliary handle norn mally rests on the upper edge of the stationary. handle or bars, as indicated in dotted lines in causing the opposite faces of the separator plates1 to rmly grip the bottles and not only hold said bottles in spaced separated relation to each other but also prevent scunng and rattling of the bottles either when transporting lled bottles or returning empty bottles to the vendor. The inclined or beveled edges I8 of the separator plates serve to guide the central bottles in position within the carrier, -aswill be readily understood. After the contents of the bottles have been consumed,.the

purchasermay reload the carrier with empty bottles in the manner before described and convenientlycarry the empty bottles back Ato the vendor 4without danger of scuiling or breaking the same.

-It vwill thus be seen that there is provided a Woodenv carton which can be rused over and over againl for an indefinite period and which can be loaded more quickly and easily than a, paper or fiber carton. f.

Inasmuch as the depending separator plates or fillers are independent of the auxiliary carrying handle and practically stationary, with the exception of a limited Ylateral movement, saidseparator plates or fillers are always in proper p0- sition to receive the bottles between them and, i

therefore, donot depend upon movement of the auxiliary handle to actuate the llersto separate and cushion the bottles. I

Byhaving the separator plates at the upper portion of the carrier, the use of dowels or partitions vin the ,lower Aportion thereof, for forming :independent vbottle receiving compartmentsrk is ,dispensed with thereby reducing'the siz'e ofthe .carrier and. making it much more compact and easier to carrythan heretofore.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the separator plates are always in -proper place to engage the bottles, 4

regardless of the position of the auxiliary carrying handle, said plates will function as separating `members when the .auxiliary carrying handle is in either lowered or elevated position. A While the separator plates are shown in connec'tio'nfwith a wooden carrier, it will, of course,

be understood thatsaid separator plates can be used' with equally good resultson paperor pasteboard cartons. metal carriers or any other type of carrier.

It will also be understood that the carriers may be made indifferent sizes and shapes sofas to accommodate any desired number of bottles and that the side and end walls kof the carrier may be used for displaying any suitable advertising matter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A bottle carrier comprising a bodyfor-receiving bottles in rows and including a stationary carrying handle having spaced recesses formed in the lower edge thereof, spaced supporting members disposed beneath the carrying handle, and separator members loosely mounted on the supporting members and having openings therein through' which said supporting members extend, the upper ends of the separator members being loosely tted within the recesses in the carrying handle for limited free lateral movement `on the supporting members and the lower ends thereof adapted to extend between adjacent bottles, said separator members being movable on the supporting members tooperative position by engagement with the walls of the bottles as they y ,are placed within the carrier.

2. A bottle carrier comprising a body for receiving bottles in rows and including a stationary carrying handle having spaced recesses formed in the lower ledge thereof, the end walls of which recesses constitute stops, spaced supporting rods disposed beneath the stationary handle, and sep- ,arator plates loosely mountedfor lateral sliding movement on said rods and adapted to` extend .betweenadjacentlbottles, said separator plates by engagement with the stops serving to limit the lateral movementof said plates. l y 3 A bottle carrier comprising a body for receiving bottles in rowsand including a carrying handle having spaced recesses formed therein, horizontal supporting members disposed beneath the carrying handle, transversely disposed separator plates slidably yn fiounted on saidl supporting membersand vhaving their upper ends loosely iitted in said'recesses and their lower ends adaptedto extend between adjacent bottles, said separator platesgbeing movable laterally on the `Vsup- *e porting members to operative position byengagement with the Walls of the b ottles `as -theyare placed within the carrier. 4. A bottle carrier comprising a body for receiving bottles in rows and includinga stationary handle having a recess formed therein,v a suplporting member .disposed beneath said handle, and a separator member loosely mounted on said4 supporting member Lfor limited `sliding movement and having its upper end loosely tted within the recess .and its lower end adapted to extend betweenV adjacent bottles, said separator. `member beingmovable laterally on the supporting member to operative position by engagement with the walls ofthe bottles-as they are placed within the carrier.

EDWARD W. HUTCHINGS. 

